L.A. council panel delays vote on temporary mansionization measures

A Los Angeles City Council planning committee on Tuesday postponed a closely watched decision on a set of temporary ordinances intended to limit the construction of “McMansions” in 20 neighborhoods.

After hearing dozens of speakers pro and con, Councilmen Gilbert A. Cedillo and Mitchell Englander agreed to put off a vote on whether to recommend that the full council pass the so-called interim control ordinances. Panel Chairman Jose Huizar was absent.

Adrian Scott Fine, director of advocacy for the Los Angeles Conservancy, said it was unfortunate that the panel did not act on one proposed interim ordinance that, if approved by the council, would establish a moratorium on permits for demolitions and extensive renovations in five areas that expect to be designated as historic preservation overlay zones.

“The door is open” to more demolitions, he said. “We need to act fast.”

Advertisement

City planners view the interim ordinances as a stopgap measure to rein in the wave of teardowns that many residents say is changing the character of single-family neighborhoods. Many builders and architects spoke against the proposed limits, saying they would impinge on property rights.

Tom Rothmann, senior city planner, said he expected that the panel would eventually vote to recommend passage of the ordinances.

Martha Groves, who covered the Westside for the Los Angeles Times, left the newsroom in 2015. A native Hoosier, she became a Metro reporter after many years as a Business writer and editor. She previously worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the late, lamented Chicago Daily News.